


Pining For More

by CardboarianNights



Series: Rare Overwatch Pairs [1]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Bittersweet Ending, How to work out your frustration as a Reaper when Reinhardts won't leave you alone, Light Smut, M/M, Other, Slow Burn, Trans!Reaper
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-29
Updated: 2016-08-29
Packaged: 2018-08-11 17:20:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,204
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7901215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CardboarianNights/pseuds/CardboarianNights
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gabriel Reyes thought the man was loud, annoying, and too much of a battle freak to ever consider being friendly with with him. </p><p>That doesn't stop Reinhardt from literally cornering the man to prove his point that Gabriel puts more than himself at risk when he tunnel visions on the battlefield.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pining For More

**Author's Note:**

> Note: In the process of being beta'd but do go ahead and read if you're okay with some mistakes (grammar mostly and typos spell check missed). It's all mostly cohesive anyways.
> 
> Edit (9-5-16) : It's now fully beta'd! Special thanks to Madame Maria for being the best beta ever <3

“Watching your surroundings is crucial!” The large man spoke with his thunderous voice, sending a small chill up Reyes’ spine as Reinhardt lectured him for what had to be the third time today. Gabe had to admit he hated interacting with the older crusader, regardless of Jack and Ana’s high opinion of him. The man had an uncanny ability to corner him both on and off the field for missions, especially during training. Gabe had sharp hearing and almost never had issues out on missions dealing with tunnel vision, but that didn’t stop the armored crusader from getting the jump on him. 

“Stuff it, Trashcan, I don’t take orders from YOU.” He hissed, trying to maneuver away from the man after shoving him failed to budge him an inch. Even without the arm the man was an immovable object, and a stubborn one at that as he slightly shifted his stance to block off Gabe’s escape route. Gabe scowled furiously at the older man. 

“We are all family here like brothers in arms; yet my words do nothing but anger you.” Reinhardt frowns sadly, making Gabe huff in annoyance.

“What a crock of bullshit!” He puts more effort into this shove, practically knocking Reinhardt off his feet from the unexpected force Gabe put behind it.

The next training simulation was a nightmare for Gabriel, not only because he was more on the edge than usual but he was purposely being hunted down by Reinhardt, of all people. Gabe pressed his back to the wall as Ana climbed on the roof above him and Jack to his left. He was specifically listening for the heavy clanking of metal on concrete as he tried to keep himself from tilting in the match.

“What the hell did you do to piss the old man off, Gabe?” Jack asked incredulously, checking around the corner with a mirror attached to a small stick that he cobbled together. 

“Is it even possible to get Reinhardt angry?” Ana chuckled quietly from her perch as she scoped out the wooden shacks that served as ‘houses’ for the urban assault training simulation. 

“Hell if I care.” Gabe growled, earning a laugh from the other two. Ever since he joined the fledgling strike team, Reinhardt was always on Gabe’s case almost every day. Gabe had to admit that the man’s shield had saved his ass on more occasions than he'd like to count but nothing could have prepared him for this almost ruthless side of the crusader.

“GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Gabe froze at the sound of Reinhardt’s battle cry, looking around desperately for the source as he whipped his guns out and waited, despite his rising panic. Jack moved first, shoving Gabe before rolling away, Reinhardt blowing down the meek wooden structure where he once stood with no effort. The shielding devices they wore allowed them to go all out without risk of serious injury but had Jack not reacted Gabe would have definitely been kissing the concrete wall behind the building.

Reinhardt was normally slow to recover from a charge like that but Gabe saw the look on the man’s face as they locked eyes.

Gabe rolled away from the hammer as it swung towards him without hesitation, only the weight of lifting it up allow him to get clear. Wood and concrete debris caused his shield to flicker, protecting him from the nastiest of cuts but he was still going to have to tweeze some splinters out after the match ended. Before Reinhardt could bring his hammer up again, he suddenly seized up, falling flat to the ground with a dart sticking out from an exposed spot in his neck armor.

Reyes quickly rolled up to his feet and relentlessly fired his shotguns into the downed man until the shield protecting him turned red, locking Reinhardt into place for the next 6 seconds. Ana and Jack ran with him as they booked it to the control point, knowing that they only had a head start before the bloodknight would be back up and out to red lock Gabriel again.

“Maybe it’s his way of flirting with you, Gabe?” Jack laughed.

“What?! A man like Reinhardt is MUCH more into flowers and cards, Jack.” Ana huffed as they turned the corner, taking down Torbjorn’s unprotected turret easily.

“Yeah, but does Gabe seem like a ‘cards and flowers’ type to you, Ana?” Jack cackled with Ana.

“Shut it, Both of you!” He hissed at them, trying to get the giggling idiots to actually focus rather than wildly speculate on Reinhardt’s courtship preferences. The giant was clearly fond of Ana and she seemed to feel the same since they regularly flirted with each other like a married couple. The trio braced against the wall, listening carefully for what Gabe heard.

“Sounds like… One. Two. Four guys on point.” Ana whispered to the two, looking for a safe place she could climb up and scout from afar. “Reinhardt shouldn’t be too far behind us though.”

Gabe shuddered at that but made sure not to show it. He would never admit to being afraid of Reinhardt, even if everyone on the opposing team did have every right to fear the man like anyone else. It was always better to have him guarding your front then having him bring the hammer down on your back.

“I found a spot. See you around.” Ana smiled as she sprinted off, rifle at the ready while Jack looked at Gabe nervously.

“No, but really. I do think Reinhardt has a thing for you, Gabe. Just between us.” Jack suggested. “The guy does seek you out a lot…”

Gabe rolled his eyes. “Seriously, Jack?”

They had to wait for Ana to get into position but using the downtime to gossip?

“I have never been more disgusted.”

Jack looked at him questionably, eyebrow raised. “He not your type?”

Now Gabe was starting to get angry. “Are you fucking with me, Jack Morrison?! Cause you know I hate being fucked with!”

Jack held his free hand up defensively. “Alright. Alright. I’ll stop.”

Gabe kept his glare firmly on him. “You honestly think that I go for loud mouths like him? I thought you knew me better than that, Jack.”

“Okay, you two. The back path overlooking the point is clear. Get in there now before-!” Ana screamed out in terror before all hell broke lose on Gabe and Jack’s position. Tracer and Winston were on their heels as they ran from the concentrated fire on their location.

They lost hard after Tracer took out Ana and used that momentum to herd both Jack and Gabe into Reinhardt. Gabe was bruised all over as he walked into the changing room, stripping off his shirt after locking up his shotguns. Jack had some healing balm that one of the medics had made and Gabriel gladly sat down on the bench so the blonde could start applying the cream to his skin. He felt like shit but bruises healed fast when you’re a super soldier, so it was nothing big to worry about even if breathing felt horrible.

Reinhardt came in last, his armor stripped off in the weapons room, and leaving him only in a white cotton undershirt and black shorts. He was grinning from ear to ear, strutting in like a proud lion after a kill. “So.” He spoke cheerfully. “Did my lesson teach you anything?”

“Last thing an omnic is going to do is wield a giant hammer and wear armor from the dark ages. You have no point to prove.” Gabe spat, glaring up at Reinhardt as the man stood in front of him, hands on his hips and enormous chest pushed outwards. Reinhardt scowled at Gabriel firmly and looked at him from head to toe.

“I hurt you this much and you still do not get it?”

“The bruises will be gone in the morning dipshit. Go fuck off.” 

“My friend, you do not understand how your actions hurt those around you.”

“Good thing I’m not your friend then. Seriously. Fuck. Off.”  
Jack had to be the one to end the conversation between the two before Gabriel escalated it to a fist fight with the German. Not wanting to stick around, Gabe pulled his shirt back on as Jack redirected Reinhardt’s attention to him so he could slip away. If Jack was good for one thing, it was knowing when to butt in when Gabe was close to reaching his tolerance threshold with certain people.

\--

“Good Morning!” Reinhardt smiled cheerfully, wearing an apron much too small for his bulk tied around his waist as Gabriel came down for the communal breakfast. Some parts of Gabriel were moving a bit slower than usual but at least he felt no pain after sleeping it off last night. He ignored Reinhardt, like usual, and sat down next to Jack as he played on his tablet at the table.

“Anything interesting?” Gabe asked, taking the cup of coffee that Ana passed to him from across the table.

“Depends on what you feel like hearing this morning.” Jack commented, picking up his own cup of coffee and taking a sip from it before setting it back down. “Politics?”

“No.”

“Science?”

“No.”

Jack frowned as he scrolled through various news sites he liked to follow, thanking Reinhardt as a plate with eggs, bacon, and two slices of toast was put down before him. “How about Luchadors?”

Gabe perked up at that, putting down his mug on the table after taking a long drink from it, and leaned in to look at the screen. “No shit?”

“Yeah. Apparently some American wrestling programs are bringing in some favorites from Mexico to spice things up on TV.”

“Oh?!” Reinhardt placed a hand on Jack and Gabe’s shoulder as he leaned his head between the two of them to see. “They’re bringing the White Fox to the States?!”

Ana chuckled in amusement from across the table, her smile hidden by the mug as she drank her coffee, making Gabe flush in embarrassment. So what if Reinhardt had an interest in Luchadors. The man was a wrestling fanatic as it was, always looking for someone to challenge him on the mat. Gabe pushed Rein’s hand off his shoulder before sniffing the air. “Is something burning?”

Reinhardt bolted from the table and back to the attached kitchen, allowing Gabriel to rub the now-sore shoulder that the bulky man had been gripping. Ana set down her mug as she looked from Gabriel to Reinhardt’s back fondly and sighed before shaking her head. “I wish he got that excited about the things I liked as well.”

Gabe quirked a brow at her. “Why not tell him then?”

“What? To like the things I like?”

“No. That you’re smitten with him, Ana Amari.”

She frowned at that, surprising both Gabriel and Jack by not scowling when teased like she usually did. The trio clammed up as Reinhardt came back over, setting a loaded plate filled with scrambled eggs, ham, and a stack of pancakes with a melting cube of butter on top. Ana and Jack looked at Gabe enviously, their plates seeming less impressive, at least presentation wise.

“There’s at least eight pancakes, you two. Of course I’m going to split it.” Gabe stated, digging his fork into the pile so he could dish out two pancakes each to his friends.

“Aww. Gabe.” Ana cooed happily. “If there’s one thing you’re never anal about, it’s sharing food.”

“Can it, Amari.” He huffed.

Reinhardt sat down next to Ana with his own plate of scrambled eggs and cooked bacon. He was all smiles as he regarded his good friend and happily took the last cup of coffee she had made for their little breakfast like always. Gabe picked up the syrup bottle and poured it over the top of his pancakes before passing it to Jack. He began cutting into the pile of fluffy pancakes, admiring how thick they were before taking a bite of approval. Reinhardt was an insufferable bastard with a hammer but one of the best cooks in the group next to him. 

Gabe saw Reinhardt look back at Ana as he glanced up from his meal and heard him smoothly bring up some topic he didn’t care about while Jack slid his tablet over to him. The news article on Luchadors was still open and Gabriel happily read the article as he ate, pausing occasionally to scroll down to the next paragraph or cut up his next pancake. It was a shame he had no time to watch this program, as much as he wanted to. It’s not every day he could see his favorite masked wrestlers duking it out on stations that actually get broadcasted out here. The world never sleeps and neither does he.

“You think we could order another memory drive to record the broadcasts on, Jack?” He asked, still engrossed in reading and eating.

“Maybe,” He replied. “Not sure if the tech guys will be too happy about doing it for us though.”

“Right.” Gabriel frowned internally, keeping his voice neutral as to not sound disappointed. “I can just watch highlights later.”

“Would be for the best, if you ask me. We have a mission to Greece anyways that we need to focus on.”

Gabe nodded his head and passed the tablet back, focusing fully on eating the delicious food before him as others trickled into the room to prepare for the start of the day.

\--

Jack broke his arm and a few ribs in the assault on a Greek omnium, the mission was a success but Reinhardt was absolutely furious as he cornered Gabriel once more in the hallway after dinner.

“What do you want.” Gabriel growled, not appreciating Reinhardt’s methods of cornering him once again but trying to be patient after Jack and Ana insisted on the way back. 

“I heard what happened in Greece, my friend.” Reinhardt spoke, clearly disappointed in Gabriel as he crossed his arms over his chest. 

“Jack didn't have to-”

“But he did. My point is proven yet again.” He sighed. “You hurt more than yourself like this.”

Gabriel threw a punch, nailing Reinhardt in the jaw and took satisfaction in watching the huge man stagger backwards in surprise. “Fuck off. I’m not going to be lectured by the likes of y-!”

Reinhardt retaliated so fast that Gabe had the wind knocked out of him as he was pinned hard against the wall, the surface vibrating violently from the impact. That massive shoulder kept him in place and gasping for breath as the pressure made it hard to breathe. 

“You are thick in the head, my friend. I am done trying to talk when you refuse to listen.” 

Gabe shuddered at how chilling Reinhardt’s voice was when it was drained of all the warmth it regularly held. He was frightened. Reinhardt never talked like this, even in the face of death. 

“Will you force me fight you, Gabriel Reyes?”

Gabe felt the pressure increase on his chest as Reinhardt leaned forward a bit and he clawed at the man to get him to let up. Going for his hair and yanking it hard, hoping to get the part-time pinup model to release him but the shock of getting his hair pulled instead drew a lewd moan from the man’s lips. He froze up at the sound, cheeks burning red before he managed to kick out Rein’s legs from under him in that moment of weakness for the bulky man. Gabriel bolted as fast as his feet could carry him back to the safety of his room and quickly got inside, afraid of the man chasing him down.

Gabriel pressed his back against the wall, his heart hammering in his chest even though the sprint would normally barely cause him to sweat. He brought a hand up to tug off his beanie, letting his short black locks come free as he ran a hand through them with a scowl. 

What the fuck kind of reaction was that? Reinhardt never let anyone mess with his hair; hell, he saw the man accidently injure someone who tried to put a hat on head by swatting the hat and the other man's hand in the process. 

And yet he moaned from that harsh pull.

Gabriel groaned as he pressed his face into his palm. They were going to fight and let off some of the steam that'd built up between them but then THAT happened. Gabe pushed off from the wall and decided to stay in for the rest of the night watching TV in his room.

\--

Breakfast went as normal as usual when Gabriel got up at seven and went down to the living room/kitchen. Jack had his arm in a cast but seemed in high spirits as Gabe sat down next to him; spoke his usual ‘good mornings’ to he and Ana. Reinhardt was absent from the room though but a plate of eggs and a few strips of bacon lay there at Gabe’s spot. 

Gabe didn’t say anything and thanked Ana as she passed him a mug of coffee.

\--

The next time Gabriel saw Reinhardt was on the drop ship a month later as they all climbed aboard for a mission in Africa; a counter-strike on the omnics that rose up in the region a few months back. Gabe took a seat next to Ana on the ship, pulling down the metal bars that would keep him in place when Lena kicked the ship into overdrive. Reinhardt took his place in his own custom built seat across the ship, substituting for Jack since the man was ordered to stay off the mission. Their gaze locked for a moment and Reinhardt looked away, visibly ashamed for the briefest of moments before happily chatting with Torbjorn. Gabe took it as a sign of sleep deprivation on his part more so than anything else; they all were tired.

\--

If there was one thing that Gabriel hated when he was young, it was when others tried to be a ‘hero’ or a ‘knight in shining armor’. He didn’t decide to transition until after the shit hole that was American middle school, and the stupid boys that pined after his attention before he came out. He wasn’t weak back then. Hell no. He kicked ass in everything he did, including looking damn pretty while beating a kid’s face into the dirt. Reinhardt was a walking, talking, LOUD knight in shining armor, and man did it grate on his nerves. 

Gabe and Ana hoofed it across the abandoned city near the omnium with a few other foot soldiers, ahead of Reinhardt and his group. The omnics spared no humans when they struck the city, killing every man, woman, child, and even sympathetic omnics that lived with them. The bodies of those unable to get out before the attack still lay rotting in the streets,. Gabe had grown used to this kind of sight but not on this scale; it was horrifying.

“Strike team one, reporting in, shit’s worse than we thought, Jack. They gunned down their own kind living here as well.” 

“Ana sent me pictures. We need to blow that omnium to kingdom come.” Jack responded on the voice comm, echoing the resentment everyone else felt but did not say.

“This is terrible…” 

Gabe frowned as he heard Reinhardt’s heart crumble over the link. Hesitantly, Gabe tapped his comm link, calling Reinhardt’s device as he leaned against one of the charred brick walls. The link connected with a click and took a deep breath before speaking.

“You holding up?”

“Yes.” Reinhardt responded, lacking all of his usual bravado.

“Jack says we can blow the omnium. That means no survivors.”

“Understood.”

 

Gabe griped his shotgun handle tighter.

“Breakfast was especially good this morning, Wilhelm.”

A soft chuckle from his comm made made Gabe smile for a fraction of a second. Reinhardt always enjoyed it when he got compliments on his cooking, it never failed to make him smile.

“You’re something else, my friend. Talking about food at a time like this.”

“See you around.”

“Take care, my friend.”

\--

They did it. The omnium blew up in a satisfying explosion after they got a safe enough distance away. Black clouds rose into the sky as debris landed everywhere. Now all they had to do was get through to the drop ship or at least hold out in the wrecked buildings so Lena could land.

Easier said than done.

Gunfire and mortar explosions ripped through the dead city as Gabriel dragged his injured leg behind him, Ana and the others firing to give him cover. They ducked into a building, where Ana was quick to pry off the metal shin guards that adhered to his bare skin, making Gabriel cry out from the excruciating pain. 

“Those fucking tin cans and their fucking lava!” Gabe hissed out as Ana worked quickly to dig out the fractured metal bits of his leg guards. “Who the FUCK says they can use lava as a weapon?!”

“Worker drones don’t have a lot of resources at their fingertips, Gabe.” Ana tried to reason as she kept working to remove the metal boot shell from his leg. The gunfire was getting closer as Ana reached up to her comm device with a bloodied hand and lifted up her rifle, letting one of the other medics take over for her. “Wilhelm! Where are you?!” She climbed up the stair to go to the second floor window, carefully peeking outside to see what had to be ten omnic assault bots firing their way down the street towards them.

“Reinhardt is here! Where is your position?”

Ana heard the sound of metal being crushed and Reinhardt’s jolly laughter.

“We’re three buildings down the main street, where the drop point is. Gabe’s been hit and we’re going to be surrounded at any moment.” She responded calmly, propping her rifle up on the opened window sill and taking aim at one of the omnics. 

“I’ll try but we’re fighting our own battles to keep them off the point, Ana!”

Ana nipped her lower lip as she took a breath and held it, firing a round and taking off the head of one of the assault bots. The other bots looked at the fallen comrade in alarm, allowing Amari to take out two more standing idiots before they dispersed to cover.

“Norbeck, how does Gabe look down there?!” Ana called down.

“Stable but he won’t be able to move it!” The medic replied before quickly being spat at by an angry Reyes.

“We need to fucking MOVE, Amari! I can walk!”  
Ana clicked her tongue as she ducked out of the way of a hail of return fire blasting through the window and quickly scrambled down the steps. “Everyone out the back doo-!” The hiss of an incoming RPG ended that thought as they were all engulfed in the explosion.

\--

Gabriel pulled Ana up and into his arms, finding only a dinky little 9mm to shove into his pocket as he began a mad scramble to make his way to the sound of Torbjorn’s turrets firing off in the distance. He grit his teeth through the excruciating pain and thanked god that Amari was a lightweight as one of the other soldiers picked off assault bots behind them as they appeared. Gabe jabbed his comm link back on, praying it worked as he continued to slowly make his way through the desolated backyards between the buildings.

“Wilhelm?!”

The device sputtered and gave out as Gabe spat a wad of blood to the ground. Of all the fucking times he actually wanted to talk to the fucking idiot in armor to ask for help, he was left hanging. His luck was running out and Reinhardt actually got to prove his point without even being around. If he was paying more attention to his surroundings rather than assuming that everyone else would compensate- no, that JACK would compensate, was dead on.

Gabe lit up as he heard the sound of heavy metal coming from an alleyway ahead of him, the turrets growing louder, and his heart beginning to race for the inevitable. There he was, decked out from head to toe in his suit of armor and banged up a good deal from the numerous dents in the plating. His hammer was tight in his grip as he ran towards them, then set it down so Gabe could move the unconscious Ana into the man’s arms.

“Here you go, lover boy. Your princess is safe.” Gabe chuckled, completely exhausted as he turned around and pulled out the 9mm, dragging his leg behind him to head back.

“What are you doing?!” Reinhardt asked incredulously, almost confused with the whole thing as Gabriel fired several rounds clean into a sniper’s head as it poked its head over the corner.

“I’m covering you! MOVE!” Gabriel barked, keeping his gun at the ready as the solider that was covering for him earlier rushed over from being pinned down. Gabe made every shot count, even if it didn’t do more than slow down the approaching omnics.

Reinhardt looked down at Ana in his arms and Gabe felt almost envious of her. Maybe she would take this as a sign to stop beating around the brush and actually tell Reinhardt her feelings for him. He was a good man and she deserved a ‘card and flowers’ guy in her life.

The soldier took Gabe’s arm around his shoulder and helped him leg it out of there as Reinhardt picked up his hammer in one arm, holding Ana delicately in the other so she rested up against his chest. They all made it to the turret nest Torbjorn had set up and Gabe sat down next to Ana as the soldier managed to get him a few more clips of 9mm ammo for the defense. Reinhardt paused as he looked at Ana, making Gabe feel rather unsure of his feelings as he watched the man walk back to the front and materialize his energy shield, giving Torby some needed time to fix up any downed turrets that protected the space around them.

\--

An EMP was dropped on the city, wiping out the rest of the omnics after Lena picked them all up. Gabe lay on a cot as a medic worked on cleaning up the wound, and he saw how much of a mess it actually was. Muscle was exposed in several areas of his leg and from that alone he knew he would be in for at least a month or two of bed rest. He sighed as he laid back, letting the heavy duty pain killers do their thing and numb him good.

Reinhardt, armor completely stripped off, was receiving medical care for minor injuries next to Ana’s cot where she had finally awakened. She, too, was now going to join Jack and Gabe in the ‘bed rest commitee’ as the medics joked but not as long as either of the two of them since it was just a broken leg. Reinhardt and Ana talked quietly, Gabe surprised that the man could even BE that, and frowned as he occasionally laughed out loud, making Gabe wonder what they were talking about. Eventually, the drugs in his body put his wandering mind to sleep, allowing him to get the rest he sorely needed.

\--

The medical ward at the makeshift base was as homely as the rest of the converted warehouses they bought and strung together. Though he did wish he was able to stay in the comforts of his own room versus being in a room with lots of cots thrown together with only curtains acting as barriers when he pissed or slept. It was nice having Ana docked next to him though. They would talk about stupid shit all day, much to the annoyance of the nurses, and push their cots close just to lay together. 

Reinhardt was a constant presence in the ward, visiting Ana, and bringing them plenty of homemade food to ‘help them get better’, in his words. Gabe slowly found the man to be more tolerable the more they spoke, even if Reinhardt had to go through Ana to make topics actually stick. His smile was genuine, unlike that of the doctors and nurses that tended to both of them even if they were the leaders of the Strike Force. It was comforting to have more than just Jack and Ana. More comforting to know that he might actually be able to trust someone outside of their group for once.

That was until Ana was released from the ward. Reinhardt stopped coming entirely.

Gabe was angry. Angry and alone.

Jack would visit him at least once a day, usually around lunch, but would never bring him any food when Gabe asked, insisting that the doctor’s orders be followed to a T. Ana seemed to have her fill of the bleached ward as it was and Gabe couldn’t blame her hesitance to come back; he wouldn’t either.

But Reinhardt? 

Gabe grit his teeth and balled the sheets in his fists.

It was all just a pleasant facade. Gabriel was Ana’s best friend and of course Reinhardt was just nice to him because he was fucking nice to everyone, especially to Ana’s best friend.

He felt like an idiot consoling him on the battlefield. Talking about how he enjoyed the breakfast he made to just hear him laugh. 

The joy he felt when he saw him rushing towards them in his full armor.

Fucking Reinhardt.

The ceiling had to be leaking. Figures the plumbing would go to shit to make him feel worse at this moment. There was no way Gabriel Reyes was fucking done in by a fucking trash can man with a hammer for a weapon. No way he was crying and being torn up by a guy who was nice to everyone. ESPECIALLY ANA AMARI’S BEST FRIEND.

\--

The first thing Gabriel did when he was released from the medical ward was go to warehouse number #6, the indoor gun range. He had to use a cane to get him from place to place for now, the physical therapy would see him fully recovered eventually but right now he needed to shoot something.

He set his cane down by the weapons’ locker, grabbing a pair of safety goggles and earmuffs then punching in the code for a 9mm pistol. The enormous machine whirled for a few moments before a drawer opened, revealing a black 9mm handgun and took it out of the box. The slot went back into the machine and Gabriel tucked the gun into his pocket, grabbing the cane off the wall, and heading over to the connecting firing range. After typing in his login credentials and specified his preference, the range came to life with various paper targets set at different distances in the room. Gabe tapped on the ammo dispenser and the clips filled with practice ammo popped out on the table.

“Figured I would find you here, Gabriel.” Ana spoke up as she entered the room, hefting her new rifle in her arms as she set it down in the booth next to Gabe’s and adjusted her goggles. 

Gabriel frowned as he donned the safety gear, loaded up his 9mm and clicked off the safety. 

“What do you want, Ana.” He took aim and fired, hitting the nearest target dead center.

“Do you want me to go straight to the point or explain?” She asked politely, Gabe narrowing his eyes and taking aim at the next target that came down from the ceiling. He fired his gun again, hitting the target dead center again, and watching as it was retracted into the ceiling.

“Reinhardt told me something a few weeks back. That you told him that I was his ‘princess’ or something when I was unconscious on the African omnium assault.”

Gabe’s shot on the next target hit the edge of the bulls eye and he scowled at that, quickly adjusting his aim to hit it dead center as the machine retracted the target back to the ceiling. “Don’t tell me you denied it, Amari. Tin Can Man has always treated you like royalty.”

She huffed at that, blowing out the farthest target in the back with perfect aim. “Reinhardt admitted that he was never into princess, Gabe.”

Gabe’s next shot missed the bull’s eye hard, hitting one of the outermost rings as he paused. “That’s just technicalities, Ana. I used the wrong comparison.”

He heard her set the rifle down before she came around the booth to lean against his own, arms crossed over her chest. “Gabriel Reyes. I have never once outed you to anyone you were fond of but since you felt like speaking to Reinhardt for me, I spoke to him for you.”

Gabe’s eyes widened at that and he set down his gun to look at Ana. “What?!”

Her eyes narrowed at him and he felt her look right through him. “I told him that you liked him.”

“Wh- But YOU are the one who he-!” Gabe gritted his teeth, fists balled at his sides as he chastised himself for getting emotional. “You’re the one who likes him, Ana. Don’t give me that bullshit.”

“So what? Reinhardt politely rejected my feelings for him.”

But that didn’t make sense, Reinhardt was ALWAYS with Ana. Those longing looks he gave her when he thought she wasn’t looking, the tight embraces he would give her when they reunited.

Gabe let his fists relax as he looked down at the floor. “But… He always loved you. There’s no other explanation, Ana.”

Ana’s eyes were looking off to the side, her annoyance gone as she smiled sadly. “I wasn’t the one he was looking at.”

With that said, Ana turned and retrieved her rifle, leaving Gabe alone in the room as he took out the remaining clip from his gun. He didn’t feel like shooting anymore tonight.

\--

The next morning, only Jack was at the table as Gabe trudged over with his cane. No coffee mugs on the table and no food either. Jack was eating a bowl of bran flakes and Gabe glanced over at the kitchen to see no sign of the enormous German or any evidence that he came through.

“Morning.” Gabe spoke to Jack as he made his way into the kitchen.

“Mornin’, Gabe.” Jack replied, scrolling through his tablet’s news feed like usual. Gabe set his cane against the counter and opened up the fridge, taking out two eggs from the carton before looking back at Jack.

“You want a burrito?” 

Jack turned to look at him. “Sure. Better than this shit anyways.”

Gabe smirked at that, grabbing two more eggs before setting them down on the counter. He took out a packet of diced ham and shredded cheese before grabbing the half-gallon of milk. Setting all of his ingredients on the counter, Gabe closed the fridge and began working on making breakfast burritos.

Apparently the smell from the kitchen beckoned Ana from whatever hallways she was loitering in and looked curiously into the pan as Gabe worked his magic. “You sharing that?” She asked childishly, her stomach growling audibly as he smirked at her.

“When aren’t I willing share my food, Amari? Besides, I think I made too much for me and Jack anyways.”

She pouted at that, crossing her arms over her chest. “Just you and Jack, huh?”

“I thought you ate already, to be honest.” Gabe shrugged. “You think you might be able to make some coffee in exchange?”

“Deal,” She smiled.

\--

Gabriel carried a tray with a mug of coffee and a plate with the extra breakfast burrito to the dorm area, scowling at anyone who attempted to make conversation with him. Gabe had his mind set and anything could easily make him reconsider at this point as he slowed his steps, making sure the hallway was deserted before stopping in front of Reinhardt’s room. This was a stupid plan but one he wanted to do for once, despite how dumb it was. He carefully balanced the tray with one hand before knocking on Reinhardt’s door and waited.

The door slid open, surprising Gabriel as he honestly thought Reinhardt was out training or something until the big man himself was standing before him in grey sweat shirt and pants rolled up to his mid shins. Reinhardt seemed genuinely surprised to see Gabriel too, jerking back a bit at the sight.

“Here.” Of all the smooth lines Gabe thought about on the way from the kitchen to the dorms, he mentally cringed as he basically shoved the tray into Reinhardt’s hands before turning to briskly walk away.

“Wait.”

Gabe paused at that, turning back to the man as he kept his head down, not wanting to see the redness burning on his cheeks from how embarrassed he was.

“Erm. I have something for you as well, my friend.” Reinhardt spoke with a normal voice volume before turning to walk back into his room with the tray. Gabe, not wanting to be spotted outside of Reinhardt’s room, moved inside, closing the door behind him as he leaned back against it with hands tucked firmly into his dark grey hoodie. Reinhardt set the tray down on his square plastic table before turning around, holding up a finger towards Gabriel asking for some patience before walking over to his desk, pushing aside his enormous chair to crawl under it.

Gabe felt his heart race in his chest and looked away from the sight, not wanting to oogle the man. The room was surprisingly homely compared to Gabe’s, warm and pleasantly furnished. He honestly expected the room to be spartan and filled with lifting equipment rather the numerous shelves lining the walls that held books, framed pictures, trophies from sporting events, and one completely dedicated to a rather lengthy dvd collection. His bed as made but not tucked in to perfection like he thought it would be considering how meticulous the guy was about his armor. In fact, none of that stuff was in the room at all. It was almost normal.

“Here you go, my friend.” He smiled as he got up, holding a memory drive in his hand along with the cord and Gabe took his hand out of his pocket to hesitantly take it.

“Um…?”

“It’s the wrestling matches we talked about awhile back. I recorded them for you!” That booming proud voice came back and Gabe found that he didn’t much mind it in that moment.

“No shit?” He smiled bringing out his other hand and held the drive fondly.

“The matches were spectacular, my friend! Just you wait and see for yourself!”

Gabe’s smile turned to a frown and then a scowl as he tucked the drive into his hoodie pocket. “Would have been nice to watch this when I was stuck in bed with nothing to do.”

Reinhardt frowned at that. “That would have been best. Yes.”

“Whatever.” Gabe huffed. “Thanks.” He turned to leave the room, cut up by his conflicting emotions until he heard Reinhardt’s steps approach him as Gabe reached for the button to open up the door.

“I was a coward.” He spoke in the smallest of voices. 

“No shit.”

“Ana and everyone here mean the world to Reinhardt. She did not take it too well when I told her what happened back in Africa.”

“She was taken out of the action, of course she was upset.”

Reinhardt’s breath trembled for a moment.

“I… I am a crusader, not a prince or a knight. I do not fancy myself a princess, as you implied I did.”

Gabe retracted his hand and tucked it back into his hoodie pocket, fingers idly stroking over the metal of the memory drive.

I wasn’t the one he was looking at.

“Well…” Gabe started, “I’m not much of a ‘card and flowers’ kind of guy, Wilhelm.”

“I know.”

Gabe’s eyes widened but he kept his gaze on the door in front of him, his heart pounding in his ears. 

“You are a ‘breakfast’ kind of man, yes?” He chuckled nervously, making Gabe feel all the more conflicted as Reinhardt put himself out there and made himself vulnerable.

“So, you go for assholes like me?” Gabe huffed.

“If you will have me.”  
Gabe wasn’t sure what he wanted in that moment. Reinhardt, of all fucking people, confessing to him and remembering the look on Ana’s face last night. He turned around hesitantly, keeping his eyes firmly on the blue carpeted floor before taking a deep breath and looking up. Reinhardt looked away when their gaze met and Gabe looked down to see his hands folded together over his lap, like a child preparing to get scolded by their parents for displeasing them. 

He sighed and brought his hand out of his hoodie to let it hang loosely at his side. “Only if we set ground rules.”

Reinhardt immediately looked at Gabriel, first in confusion until Gabe closed the gap between them, wrapping his arms around Reinhardt’s waist. Gabe’s heart fluttered as the taller man leaned over and reciprocated the hug, fingers rubbing his back through the hoodie in a gentle caress. They stood there for many minutes, Gabe enjoying the warmth and the satisfying feeling of finally being able to recognize his feelings for what it was, not that he would ever say the words out loud.

They eventually parted ways, promising to talk more in detail about the relationship rules, and Gabe happily walked with his cane in one hand while the other was tucked into the hoodie pocket, gently holding the memory drive.

\--

Reinhardt was surprisingly good at keeping his feelings in check, much to Gabriel’s surprise. Maybe it was because the guy was so friendly to everyone that no one noticed or said anything about his more frequent appearances with the trio. Gabe thought that maybe they didn’t need to have a ‘rules’ talk at all until after training practice one day. Reinhardt and Gabriel were the last ones in the communal shower in the men’s locker room when Reinhardt cleared his throat as Gabe was washing his hair beneath one of the shower heads.

“What?” Gabe asked, figuring Reinhardt was going to ask for some shampoo or conditioner, because the fucker went through a LOT of it, until he heard the wet steps of the larger man stop right behind him.

“Does your leg hurt still?”

“Tin Can Man, you seriously asking me that?” Gabriel stepped out from under the water and picked the shampoo bottle off from the floor before Reinhardt gently plucked it from his hand. Gabe scowled at that and turned to look at other man disapprovingly. “You can’t ask?”

“Erm... Could I do it for you?”

Gabe shrugged his shoulders. “If you want. Just don’t take too long or people are going to ask questions.”

Reinhardt chuckled fondly at that, popping the cap off before gently lathering Gabe’s hair, massaging his scalp with his large hands. It wasn’t weird for Gabe to allow Reinhardt to wash his hair, he was discrete in his affections and always backed off if Gabriel told him a particular action was too overwhelming. Hell, they were four days into this thing and they haven’t even kissed yet; the man was a very patient lover, which was a bit jarring compared to the guys and girls Gabe used to date. Reinhardt gently grasped Gabe’s shoulders when he was done and guided him back under the warm running water, letting him rinse his hair out the way he wanted.

“You have such nice hair. Shame you wear a hat to cover it.”

Gabe stepped out of the running water and handed Reinhardt the conditioner bottle, waiting for the process to repeat itself. “If it gets too hot I’ll just shave it all off. Done that before too.”

Reinhardt paused as he set the bottle down on the ground next to the shampoo before standing back up. “Your choice, Gabriel. I just always wondered what it looked like.” He smiled, running his fingers through Gabe’s short hair as the shorter man hummed happily at the relaxing massage.

“This isn’t the first time I showered in here, Tin Can. What stopped you from looking?”

The hands working through his hair paused at that simple question.

“I tried not to.” He resumed.

Gabe was a bit confused by that. Was the man’s pining over him recent? Because Ana made it seem like it might have been going on for a lot longer than that.

“You saw something you don’t like between my legs?”

Might as well say it now then never. He wasn’t going to date anyone half-assed and sex was something he was looking forward to eventually if and when they got there.

“Oh! No, no, no!” Reinhardt chuckled, trying his best to keep his voice down. “All of you is beautiful. But it felt wrong to look. Does that make sense?”

Gabe let out a sigh in relief, but remained stoic as he tried not let on how happy he was to hear that come from him. A small smile might have lifted the corner of his lips as Reinhardt’s hands maneuvered him back under the shower head. “Thanks.”

“It’s no problem.” 

Gabe pressed his lips together as he heard Reinhardt walk away from him and another shower head run with water. Gabriel quickly washed his body with soap and rinsed himself off before shutting off his own. Gathering up his bottles and body wash, he set them down on the bench before walking over to Reinhardt. “Would you like help?” Gabe asked awkwardly, watching as the older man turned towards him with soaking wet hair.

“Oh. It’s fine, Gabriel. Go dry off.” He waved him off.

Gabe could be stubborn about getting what he wanted but he understood comfort zones more than anyone else, even if he did frown as he gathered up his things once more and headed out into the changing room. He placed his things into his wash tote and picked up his large towel to begin ruffling it over his hair. His thoughts went to Reinhardt’s body as the sound of water continued in the background, imagining the water rolling over his muscles and down that beard of his. He never thought Reinhardt was attractive until recently, it was more of a slowly acquired taste than anything Gabe was used to masturbaiting to in the past. Kind of like him and coffee, and boy did he love his coffee now.

Maybe that’s why he never gave Reinhardt the time of day. He was too different from the norm and the people he surrounded himself with. 

Gabe continued to towel dry his body as the shower shut off and Reinhardt came out past the partition to put down his own things. Gabriel was drying off his legs and arms when he looked over at Reinhardt to see him staring. He had a towel in his hand, looking like he was thinking about drying off the rest of himself as he held it above his waist but stopped.

“What?” Gabe huffed out, not used to the attention as he set his towel down and grabbed a pair of blue boxers off his clothing pile.

“Sorry. I should have asked to look.” He chuckled sheepishly, turning away as he resumed drying himself off.

Gabe mentally slapped himself for the knee-jerk reaction and set down his boxers before turning to walk over to Reinhardt. “You can look, Tin Can. You have my permission.”

Reinhardt cleared his throat at that. “Now is not the best time for this, Gabriel.”

What the hell kind of response was that? He was fine with looking a second ago and literally just showered with him. Modesty was clearly not the issue here and it ground Gabe’s gears rather relentlessly to not know why. Unless…

“Is it because you’re hard? Like I haven’t seen one showering here all the time.” 

“I’m not comfortable with it.”

Oh. Shit.

“Right. Sorry…” Gabe quickly shuffled back over to his clothing pile to get dressed, feeling like a fucking idiot for ignoring Reinhardt’s feelings due to how desensitized Gabe was to everything. He had seen Reinhardt’s dick more than once in passing while showering but this was something different than that; he was visibly attracted to him and felt ashamed to cross that line, however unintentional.

Gabe knew what his comfort zone and relationship rules were but Reinhardt was clearly hesitant in saying anything that could turn him away. So, Gabe mentally wrote it down for him:

Don’t talk about private parts.

\--

Their first kiss was something in passing, a little peck from Reinhardt on his lips before Gabe left his room one day. It wasn’t a big deal. Reinhardt never made it seem like a big deal and it kept Gabriel comfortable since he originally thought the guy would be as suffocating as he seemed to be at first. It was little things he would do that made Gabe feel appreciated by the giant man: pushing a bowl closer to him when he couldn’t reach it across the table, him scooting back in his bed so Gabe could lay down with him to watch wrestling with him in Reinhardt’s room, and especially giving him more food at breakfast.

It didn’t feel like dating. Movies and TV shows always made it so high-key and in your face when Gabe realized he rather liked this slow-paced dance of theirs. But there were moments or even days where Gabe wanted to slam his head against the wall in frustration. There were days when he secretly WANTED that kiss that could sweep him off his feet or even having his ass groped by the man in a crowded elevator, not that they had one, but the frustration was still there.

That's when, on week three of their relationship, Gabe came up with a plan to get the Tin Can Man to actually want him like he did in the showers that one day. Except he had no idea what aroused the guy other than his own ass and the thrill of battle. Gabe groaned and pressed his face into his deck, a blank sheet of paper next to his head, coming up with little to nothing for the past ten minutes. The man was like two different people; a battle freak in his armor and a sweetheart in the streets. How was he going to begin to do this in a clever manner?

\--

“Ana.” 

Amari looked over at him curiously before Reyes dragged her away from the TV in the living room and into his own room for privacy. That fact that she didn’t complain or question him made him realize how often he ran to her for help with his private matters.

“What now, Gabriel? You forget how to file your taxes again?”  
He narrowed his eyes at her as she smirked, sitting down on his bed as she crossed one leg over the other.

“Oh. It’s Reinhardt then?”

Fuck Ana Amari and her fucking powers of observation and FUCK her shit-eating grin.

“Yes.”

“I thought this might happen. You two are VERY good at keeping it so down low that I was honestly starting to question my mental health.”

“How do I seduce him?”

Ana looked at Gabriel like a deer looks at an oncoming truck.

“You haven’t had sex yet?”

Gabe sucked in a deep breath, knowing that the pain Ana would deliver would be quick and severe but he needed this information badly.

“We only kissed once.”

“Holy shit.” She mouthed, shaking her head incredulously as she clicked her tongue in pity.

“I get it! I’m just-! Not sure what to do here?!”

“Ride him.”

Now Gabe looked like he was hit by that said truck.

“What.”

“Reinhardt is likely the kind of guy who doesn’t date much due to his size and boisterous behavior. Tell him what you want and literally take the bull by his horns, Gabriel.” Ana sighed before standing up. “Isn’t that your life motto anyways? Get in it’s face until you have the right to bring out your guns when it shoves you back?”

Gabe was speechless, all witty comebacks dead on the floor when Ana smiled sweetly and left the room after giving him a cheerful ‘good luck’. 

\--

Reinhardt came to his room this particular evening and Gabe made sure he had everything prepped up in case things got steamy between them; fresh lube and condoms of many different sizes that fit the spectrum of ‘large’. Gabe quickly opened the door when Reinhardt knocked and just as quickly closed it behind the man as he walked in, pleasant smile plastered on his face.

“Good evening, Gabriel.” He held his arms out expectantly and Gabe was like a moth to the flame, hugging the man as he leaned over to do the same as well. Gabe’s heart fluttered happily as Reinhardt kissed the beanie covering his head and gave him a gentle pat on the back. “You look to be in fine spirits.”

Gabe looked up at the man and felt himself smile, however embarrassing it still felt. Still. He remembered what Ana said and went with his gut as he took a deep breath. “About that. Could we, possibly, take the next step tonight?”

Reinhardt tilted his head to the side, Gabe’s shot clearly going into left field with that one. 

Time to be direct. 

“You know… Have sex?” 

“Oh.” Reinhardt’s face twisted in a way that made Gabriel squirm pleasantly inside; the embarrassment from both missing the meaning the first time around and the realization Gabe actually wanted him. Ana Amari was ever the sly dog. 

“It’s fine if you don’t want to right now. I’m just putting it out there with no expectation for you to deliver until you’re comfortable.” Holy shit he actually managed to say it and not fuck it up like the past last hour he spent trying to get it to actually sound sincere.

“I wasn’t so sure if you wanted me.”

Gabe paused at that.

“What do you mean?”

Reinhardt looked away as he brought a hand up to gently tug on his hair, curling it around his finger. “I was never your type before and so I assumed…” 

Holy shit this had been going on longer than Gabe if Reinhardt had seen the last guy he dated. That or Amari runs her mouth behind his back.

Gabe shook his head. “We’ve been together for about three weeks, right? That doesn’t say anything to you?”

“You are not very vocal about it. I was never really sure.”

Shit.

“Well. I guess I should talk more.” He managed to get the words out as he realized it was HIS fucking fault things were going so fucking slow, not the other way around.

“I would like that very much.”

If Gabe could rate the smiles he had seen Reinhardt make, this would have to set the standard for what was the best, most heartwarming smile he had ever seen. He was just so sincere about it and relieved at the same time that Gabe found himself unable to be anything but smiling.

Yep. He was head over heels in love.

Goodbye.

\--

Turns out that night flopped anyways in regards to sexually advancing the relationship but Reinhardt DID stay the night, even if they had to sleep on the floor together to comfortably accommodate him. Gabe made sure to order in the biggest and most durable air mattress on the market in the morning, even paying extra to make sure it came in the next morning from how poorly their bodies did on the floor. He bought a black mattress cover and a new comforter set while he was at it, completely fine with putting in a bit of money if it meant they wouldn’t feel like death in the morning.

\--

“This is nice.” Reinhardt chuckled as he laid down on the inflated air mattress, noting that it covered up almost all of the floor, before Gabriel climbed on with him, collapsing backwards next to his boyfriend. 

“Feels better than any bed I’ve slept in.” Gabe agreed, practically melting into how comfortable the damn thing was. 

Reinhardt chuckled softly, rolling over on his side so he could look at Gabriel with a smile.

“What?” Gabe asked.

“You know how we talked yesterday? You’re not the only one who made a rush order.” He playfully winked at Gabriel, reaching into his back pocket to produce three wrapped condoms. “From Germany.”  
Gabe’s jaw almost dropped off. “What about the ones I showed you last night?”

“I trust this brand with my life. I would not want to make love with you in anything less reliable.”

Gabriel huffed. “Do what makes you comfortable, Tin Can Man.”

Now he was going to have to offload the shit in the infirmary when the doctors weren’t looking and that would be a pain in the ass. But Reinhardt's smile pulled him out of his brooding.

“If you make one joke about ‘precise german engineering’ in regards to your dick then I’m breaking up with you.”

\--

Gabe had a bit of a dominant streak his whole life and that applied in bed too, something that Reinhardt fully embraced, especially in regards to the head nestled between his thighs. “What can I do or not do with your hair, Big Guy?” Gabriel purred when Reinhardt kissed his way up his inner thighs as he held his genitals over his mouth, the air mattress making the task a bit more difficult than he would have liked. Such a huge, muscular man laying down under him was such an ego boost to Gabriel but also a turn on since he loved said man as well.

Reinhardt wrapped his arms around Gabriel from behind, locking down on his thighs before pulling Gabriel firmly to his mouth. His tongue traced lewd shapes over his labia, licking the slick moisture off them before pulling Gabe down more firmly, tongue going straight in without much warning. “Oh fuck…!” He immediately covered his mouth, realizing how loud he was and remembered that Jack’s room was literally right next to his, assuming he turned in as early as usual. 

He ground his hips against Reinhardt’s eager tongue, biting down on his index finger to muffle his moans as the man below him exploited his weakness relentlessly. His tongue lapped up and down slowly against one side of Gabe’s clit before smugly moving to the other side when his legs began to tremble against his cheeks. To make matters worse, he used his strength to lock down Gabe, making him unable to grind against that filthy tongue of his as he teasingly flicked it against his clit.

God he was going to cum and cum hard when Reinhardt had enough of his fun and games as a sneaky ass power bottom. Gabe removed the digit from his mouth and glared down at the smug asshole whose face HE was suppose to be riding. “Y-you…!” He brought his hand down to grip Reinhardt’s hair, instantly throwing the man off his rhythm as his eyes snapped shut from the pleasure.

“Oh? So, you’re a kinky fuck who likes his hair pulled, huh?” Gabe grinned down at Reinhardt as he looked up at Gabe with heavy-lidded eyes. “Imagine how good it’s gonna be when I pull your hair with you fuck me.”  
Not to be out done in their duel, Reinhardt went hard on Gabe’s clit, bringing the man to his first shuddering orgasms and forcing him to ride it out, unable to squirm at all. Gabe’s finger was the first thing Reinhardt tended to after slipping out from under Gabriel, the thing was bleeding from how hard he bit down on it and he insisted it be treat with at least a bandage before they continued.

“So. You’re not very good at being quiet.” Reinhardt spoke as he wrapped the bandage firmly in place.

Gabe frowned as he looked at the Mickey Mouse bandage on his finger before dropping his hand to the side. “Look who’s talking.”

Reinhardt chuckled at that, knowing it very well to be the truth. “It is rather unromantic but until proper tools can be acquired-”

“Oh god, you’re going to gag me?” Gabe was both horrified and a bit aroused by the thought.

“I would suggest we do as the animals do; on hands and knees.”

“So, that way I can smother myself to death by going doggy style on my first night. How grand.”

Reinhardt frowned at the sarcasm. 

“We can cuddle for as long as you like afterwards. I do not plan on going elsewhere.” Reinhardt offered generously. Gabe felt like the bad guy here, even if it was clearly not the man’s intention.

\--

Gabe would never admit to enjoying cuddles, hell he didn’t like admitting anything to anyone unless their names were specifically Jack, Ana, or Reinhardt but god the sex was too good not to indulge in that offer afterwards. Reinhardt pulling out and cleaning himself up before coming back to bed in his boxers, pulling the kicked off covers over their tired bodies and Gabe naturally let himself be drawn into his arms.

Pull his hair did wonders for the man’s sex drive and now here he was, gently running his fingers through said man’s hair. Reinhardt’s head rested against a pillow he pulled from off the floor, closing his eye and smiling warmly at the touch. 

\--

Overwatch being established was one of the happiest and one of the worst moments of Gabriel’s life.   
Jack accepted the promotion to Strike Commander and he got kicked to Blackwatch as compensation. The biggest blow yet was losing Reinhardt as well after two years of stability that Gabriel would never be able to take back since Reinhardt rejected his transfer to Blackwatch. 

\--

Reaper managed to corner the old crusader at the old Swiss HQ, or what remained of it anyways. Reinhardt always came back here once year on Gabriel Reyes' birthday. The wraith observed it many times throughout the years, choosing to silently watch from afar than to take action. 

He always brought a gift from his travels after Overwatch disbanded and slept out under the stars in the tiny graveyard where the Blackwatch members were buried in the asscrack corner of the Swiss facility. The man was a sentimental creature, carrying around an air mattress that had clearly seen better days and was more effort than it was worth to inflate from the tiny generator that man carried on his armor.

This was the year Reaper would end his miserable existence, approaching the man as he slept without armor, hands folded over his chest like a corpse in a casket.

How appropriate.

Reaper watched the man man stir from his rest, not even bother to get up from how tired he looked as he looked up at the shotgun barrel pointed down at his head. 

“Death has come for you, Reinhardt Wilhelm.” 

Just as Reaper was going to pull the trigger and forever seal away that portion of Gabriel’s heart forever, the man below him let out a defeated sigh.

“Where were you six years ago when I needed you most?”

Reaper showed nothing, even as Gabriel struggled to find the meaning in the man’s words. Was he talking about Reaper or…?

“Death chooses. Your cowardly actions have hurt those dearest to you.”

“Honor and glory was not worth losing him. I gladly choose death to be with him again.”

Dear god. What had happened to Reinhardt? Who broke the proud person he was to reduce him to crying at an empty grave for six years? Sure, Gabe was heartbroken when Reinhardt chose to stay in Overwatch but he would never resent his decision to the point where he wanted the spark Reinhardt had for battle to be taken from him like that. He didn’t even want his own death to put that kind of a burden on the man as betrayed as he felt.  
“I’ll kill them.”

Reinhardt looked up at Reaper, tears rolling down the corner of his good eye’s cheek, at that seemingly out of place statement and the rage that burned under the mask.

“Give me their names and last known location.”

“Of… What?”

“Those who did you wrong. You will have your vengeance.”

Reinhardt sat up on the matress looking at the man skeptically before looking down shamefully. 

“You already do the work none of us could. The work we would never take for fear of our ruin, my friend.” He spoke, apparently painful for him to admit. “The ones who ruined Overwatch by tearing it in two. Forcing us to choose sides when there never should have been any.”

 

So, he knew the truth or at least had a general idea of what really happened behind the scenes.

“My lover, Gabriel, I wondered to this day if things would have been the same if I laid down my hammer to go with him. Would he have been swallowed whole by darkness if he were not alone, even if it meant that I could no longer fight as I always have been? There was no glory in fighting in the shadows but I have done the most harm to everyone by being selfish.

It’s funny. I remember always yelling with Gabriel about tunnel vision in battle but I was no wiser to the evils of men who do harm without ever stepping out in the battlefield.”

“So you chose to honor him by going quietly into the night, letting an assassin take your life when your lover would have fought to the last limb and breath for you and your way of life?”

He seemed surprised by that.

“We were always incompatible. I do not know what god I appeased to make him mine but these years without him have been incredibly burdensome.”

Reaper retracted the gun from his head and tucked it back into his cape. “You were chosen by the god of death, Reinhardt Wilhelm. You owe a debt so great on your soul that it is not fit to be collected. Instead, you will go forth and continue to fight for justice, as your lover would have wanted you to. Only then will I come back for you and take your life when you are completely spent.”

With that, Reaper faded away as if they were never there in the first place, black smoke drifting off with the wind as Reinhardt found himself alone once more.  
For the next year and onward, on Gabriel Reyes’ birthday, Reinhardt continued to visit and sleep by his fallen lover’s grave unaware that death too came to watch him silently from afar, killing any person seeking out the Crusader’s life as he became an active hero once more. Even if they were never fated to meet again otherwise, he made sure the man would sleep peacefully on this one night.

**Author's Note:**

> my tumblr is mercy-for-old-soldiers btw
> 
> Will there be an after-story or mini-ficlets for the two? Maybe. 100 kudos gets you an After Story that isn't so bitter sweet.


End file.
